The Challenger
by allthingsmagical
Summary: There is a man in Camelot who is challenging the knights and winning, just who is he?


_**I don't own Merlin sadly, it belongs to the BBC**_

_**I apologise in advance for any mistakes I may have made.**_

**_Summary: There is a man in Camelot who is challenging the knights and winning, just who is he?_**

_**Light malexmale,**_

* * *

A man stood on the edge of the training field, watching as the knights of Camelot trained, running his fingers through his dirty blond hair, picking up a nearby gauntlet he walked on to the training field and chucked it down in the middle, making all the knights stop and look down at the fallen gauntlet before looking up at the man who threw it down.

"Who accepts my challenge?" the man with dirty blond hair and bright green eyes asked.

Oden stepped forwards and picked it up. "I accept. He who draws blood first is the winner?"

The man nodded. "Who is the name of the man I aim to beat?"

"Sir Oden."

The man nodded. "Dirk." he said, before placing his foot under a sword on the floor and flicking his foot up, the sword flew up making Dirk catch it. "Ready?"

Oden nodded and drawing his sword he and Dirk circled each other before stopping, "ready."

Dirk swung his sword first having Oden block it before he spun and attacked, making Oden back back, swinging his sword high in the air Oden raised his sword to block only for Dirk to quickly bring his sword down and nick his bicep, drawing blood.

Oden looked shocked at being caught so quickly and looked down at his arm to see where he had been caught.

Gwaine hurried over. "You alright Oden?"

"Yeah, nothing to go to Gaius about, just a scratch." he explained before looking at Dirk. "Well done." he said, nodding his head.

Dirk nodded and turned to walk away when Gwaine called out. "No more?"

Dirk turned back and saw Gwaine smirking at him. "You want to have a go at me?"

"Oh yes."

Dirk nodded. "Very well, same rules apply." he said as he readied his sword, spinning it with a twist of his wrist. "Ready to lose?"

"I never lose." Gwaine said running the edge of his sword down Dirk's.

Dirk grinned. "First time for everything."

* * *

Arthur looked out of the window down towards the training field to watch his knights and could see Gwaine with someone he knew wasn't one of his knights, leaning his arms on the ledge he watched as the man fighting Gwaine spun one way and another before catching Gwaine's leg and Gwaine slamming his sword in the grass in what looked like anger. "Mmm." he hummed before walking away with a frown on his face.

* * *

Seeing how Gwaine took to losing, Percival put his arm across his shoulders. "It's alright, in a proper fight you would beat him, this is just who nicks the other first."

"Care to take me on then? Your height and muscles do not bother me, you know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Dirk said, aware that the other knights took a step back.

Percival glared at the man. "Oh I accept!"

* * *

Arthur walked in to chambers next to his and Merlin's to see his husband sat on the floor surrounded by papers. "There you are, I have been looking for you."

"Sorry I needed peace and quiet and no interruptions as I need to get this paperwork done."

Arthur walked over to Merlin and crouched down. "You haven't had a break all day?"

"Yes, I had a maid bring me some food and I stood and opened the window to get some fresh air when I needed to give my eyes a break, noticed the training field. When did you knight someone?"

"I saw that, Gwaine didn't look too happy, I don't know who it is, will have to watch them and keep and eye out."

Merlin nodded. "He starts on the training field again I will pop down and check him out, see if he is using magic."

Arthur nodded. "Have you about finished?"

"Almost, why?"

"I don't like eating alone."

Merlin laughed, "well order us some food and by the time it comes I will be finished."

* * *

Gwaine entered his chambers he shared with Percival to see the other knight sat at the table with no top on, leaning down, Gwaine placed a gentle kiss on the small cut on Percival's back. "I don't like this Dirk person, just who does he think he is?"

"I am guessing he wants to be recognised by Arthur, become a knight. Why don't we ask Merlin? See if he has magic, he might be using that to win." Percival suggested.

Gwaine nodded as he placed his hands on the strong shoulders in front of him. "We will ask him tomorrow, something has to be done. Eight knights he beat today, he hasn't got one nick on him, he has got to be using magic."

* * *

The next morning when the knights were on the training field Gwaine looked up to see Merlin in the distance talking with Dirk. "Hey percival, Merlin is going to check him."

Merlin placed his hands in the mans in front of him. "This won't hurt." he said and seconds later he let go. "No magic at all."

"Of course I don't have magic."

Merlin nodded. "I had to check."

Percival looked at Gwaine. "I don't think he has magic but I am hoping he does, if so we can say he is using that to win." he said, making Gwaine laugh.

* * *

Merlin was talking to a stallholder when a hand on his shoulder had him turning around. "Gwaine."

"We saw you talking to and checking that Dirk earlier, well?"

Merlin smiled. "No magic in him Gwaine. I believe he is just beating you on skill with a sword alone."

"I was hoping he did. I wonder if he will show his face and challenge anymore of us today."

"Have faith Gwaine. One of you will surely beat him."

"At this rate the only one of us who will is Arth-" Gwaine stopped.

"Gwaine?"

"Arthur! Greatest warrior in Camelot! If anyone can wipe that stupid grin off Dirk's face its Arthur."

"Well good luck in getting Arthur to fight him today, he is in meetings at the moment."

"Well they can't go on all day. Arthur has to fight and beat him, otherwise Camelot's knights are going to be full of cuts."

Merlin laughed. "Does he cut deep?"

"No just a scratch, stupid way if you ask me, he who draws blood first wins."

"That's what Dirk stated?"

"No, Oden did. I am going to see if I can catch Arthur, if Dirk turns up on training field today I don't want to see him." Gwaine said and walked away leaving Merlin with a small smile on his face. Gwaine really was a sore loser.

* * *

Gwaine walked towards the throne room and saw Arthur at the window, looking out of it. "Arthur? Merlin said you had meetings."

"I did but I can't be doing with them today, I am just watching this man who is surprisingly, winning the challenges against my knights."

Gwaine looked out of the window and watched as Dirk swept a knight off his feet and as he landed on his back, Dirk nicked the knights leg. "You have to challenge him Arthur, you are the greatest warrior and best knight, wipe the stupid grin off his face."

"Stupid grin?"

"Yeah, when he wins he gets this stupid grin on his face, like he is happy and excited that he managed to do something and win."

Arthur frowned. "Come on, lets go and watch him before I challenge him."

* * *

Walking on to the training field Arthur watched as Dirk spun around and swung his sword, moving it in an arch and attacking while moving about before nicking Leon's arm.

Leon nodded his head and walked over to them. "Arthur? What are you doing here?"

"I am curious with this Dirk, he seems a good swordsman, I might even make him a knight."

Gwaine turned to Arthur. "You can't do that!"

"Why? Because he beat you?"

"No." Gwaine lied.

Arthur just laughed before walking up to Dirk who froze when he saw him before bowing.

"My King."

"I have been watching you a lot, I have even been hearing about you, seems you are leaving my knights full of cuts and bruises, tell me, would you hold back against your King?"

"No."

Arthur nodded. "Then Dirk. I challenge you."

Dirk nodded. "Challenge accepted." he said and swung his sword around before stretching while Arthur got a sword and did a few swings of his sword.

As they started to fight Gwaine hurried over to Leon, Percival and Lancelot. "About time, Arthur will beat him."

Lancelot laughed. "You never know, Arthur might stop the fight after a minute and knight him."

Gwaine looked horrified. "He can't do that!"

Percival chuckled. "Being King I think you will find Arthur can do what he likes. Went against his fathers wishes and allowed magic back into the kingdom and married a man didn't he."

"Well yeah and I support all of that, he just can't do this."

Arthur blocked a hit and spun around before lunging forward and attacking, Dirk blocking every hit, Arthur clashed his sword with Dirk's and spinning it round and round he threw his arm in the air, in doing so Dirk's arm went up also and Arthur swung his leg out and swept Dirk off his feet and straddled his waist, his sword poitning at Dirk's left shoulder.

Gwaine laughed. "Yes Arthur! What are you waiting for? Nick him!"

Arthur looked down at the man he was straddling. "No."

"No?" Dirk panted. "You won fair and square, I didn't go easy on you,"

"Oh I know that. But I still won't nick you and make you bleed. I took a vow when I married, I vowed I would always protect my husband and never hurt him, so why would I nick you and hurt you when I vowed that is something I would never do... Merlin."

Dirk frowned. "Merlin? That man who checked if I had magic?"

"Enough Merlin." Arthur sighed as he held the tip of the sword and held it against his own chest. "If there is one thing I would bet my life on is that Merlin would not hurt his husband. To win you must draw blood, admit it or win."

Reaching up, fingers circled Arthur's wrist, the thumb stroking over the pulse point making Arthur let go of the sword which now moved away from his chest. "I admit." Merlin sighed and his eyes flashed gold before eyes turned from green to blue, dirty blond hair turned to black.

"Merlin!" Gwaine cried. "Why?"

"I wanted to test the skills my husband taught me and see if I was as good as I believed. I couldn't do that with all of you as you would have gone easy on me."

"That is not allowed." Gwaine spluttered. "Arthur tell him."

Merlin laughed as Arthur stood up before helping his husband up. "Arthur can't tell me off for something he did himself years ago."

"But I saw you checking Dirk for magic." Percival said.

Merlin smiled. "You saw me checking Harrison looking like Dirk." he explained before looking at Arthur. "How did you know it was me?"

"I taught you all your moves my love, disguise yourself all you like my love. I will still know it is you with your moves."

"We got hurt because you wanted to prove yourself?" Gwaine asked.

"It was Oden who suggested he who draws blood first wins and you wasn't really hurt Gwaine, only your ego as you lost." Merlin laughed.

* * *

That night Merlin lay in bed cuddled up to Arthur. "When did you know it was me?"

"As soon as I saw you from the window the other day, you have gotten a lot better with the sword fighting love, I am proud."

"And you have gotten better at romance and thinking before acting. I am proud also." he laughed, earning a gentle tap from the King. "We seem to be rubbing off on each other."

Arthur hummed as he rolled over to lay on top of his husband. "Speaking of rubbing off on each other..." Arthur whispered before leaning down to kiss his husband.

* * *

_**The End. **_

_**What do you think?**_

_**Review? x**_


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